Local Dancers Headed to Belfast, Northern Ireland

Editor's Note: The following article was written and contributed by Eileen Burke.

We have a hidden gem here in our local community: the O’Grady Quinlan Academy of Irish Dance, under the direction of Maureen O'Grady and Colleen Schroeder (Quinlan).

The Bethlehem-based academy's students are becoming more competitive each year, and this year O'Grady Quinlan has produced 15 world qualifiers for the 2012 World Championships in Belfast, Northern Ireland. That puts them among the top five schools for world qualifiers in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Among the O'Grady Quinlan world qualifiers headed to Belfast in early April are several Saucon Valley residents, including Moravian Academy student Nina Hart, 13, of Hellertown, who has qualified for the past two years; student Breanne Toolan, 13, of Hellertown, who has qualified for the past two years; and student Nora Burke, 13, of Lower Saucon Township, who has qualified for the first time.

O’Grady Quinlan is proud to say that it’s the only school in the Lehigh Valley that is registered with An Coimisiun Le Rinci Gaelacha (CLRG). CLRG was established more than 80 years ago, and is home to world-renowned dancers Jean Butler and Michael Flatley, of Riverdance and Lord of the Dance fame. O'Grady Quinlan's dancers are subject to the same rules, guidelines and high standards set forth by An Coimisiun, and maintain the standards of dance that were so widely publicized by Michael Flatley himself.

Thanks to superstar ambassadors like Flatley, the popularity of Irish dance has continued to soar, increasing even further with the documentary JIG.

JIG premiered in 2011 and played throughout the U.S. to sold-out audiences, prompting the television network TLC to buy the rights and plan the release of a reality-based show about Irish dance, to air sometime in 2012-2013.

And while some continue to think of Irish dance as a hobby, or merely folk dancing for the purpose of getting together and celebrating Irish culture, participants in this increasingly popular activity know it is so much more.

Irish dance has evolved into the most rigorous of sports, with dancers practicing an average of 3-plus hours a day, six or seven days a week. To them their pursuit is not just dance--it is a passion fueled by a desire to compete among the best.

Dancers willingly sacrifice and dedicate countless hours to dance shoulder to shoulder on the world stage. The athleticism they have acquired through their training can be compared to that of the most dedicated athletes in any sport. 

O'Grady Quinlan continues to keep Irish dance alive and strong right here in the Lehigh Valley. On top of nurturing and cultivating young talent so they too can become future world qualifiers, the school also takes time to give back to the community.

OGQ dancers perform at local nursing homes, community events and festivals.  

They will be marching in both the Bethlehem and Allentown St. Patrick’s Day parades this year, and will also perform at the Parade of Shamrocks after-party, sponsored by the Celtic Cultural Alliance, in Bethlehem on March 17.